Koko to host Studio Richter Mahr's special 'Free & Equal' event
21 November 2022 - Press release
SATURDAY DECEMBER 10TH - HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
LIMITED EVENT TICKETS INCLUDE AN INTIMATE DINNER AT THE HOUSE OF KOKO
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 25TH NOV 10AM FROM HERE
ALL TICKET SALES BENEFIT MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES
CO-DIRECTORS MAX RICHTER AND YULIA MAHR CELEBRATE STUDIO RICHTER MAHR'S FIRST RECORD RELEASE, 'FREE & EQUAL VOL. 1'
London's iconic KOKO is proud to announce it will host Studio Richter Mahr's special 'Free & Equal' event, which will be held on Saturday, December 10th in recognition of Human Rights Day. The event marks the launch of the Studio Richter Mahr's record label, a new facet of the multi-arts production facility that was created by SRM co-founders, the renowned post-classical composer Max Richter and the multi-disciplinary visual artist Yulia Mahr. The event also celebrates the release of Studio Richter Mahr's new EP 'Free & Equal Vol. 1' which is available here. The project was inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
All ticket proceeds from the event will benefit Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). The international, independent medical humanitarian organisation provides medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from healthcare.
KOKO will open at 6pm for the event, which will include an introduction and a piano recital from Richter and an exclusive performance from the 'Free & Equal' ensemble, of music from the composers featured on the EP. The ensemble will be led by the conductor and composer Robert Ames, the co-founder, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the London Contemporary Orchestra.
A very limited quantity of tickets will be available which will also grant ticket holders access to an intimate aftershow dinner experience hosted by Max Richter and Yulia Mahr in the stunningly designed backstage members club, The House of KOKO. Commencing at 9pm, the dinner will take place in The Stage Kitchen, and will include a speech from Studio Richter Mahr directors Max and Yulia before guests are served a menu personally created by The House of KOKO's Executive Chef Andreas Engberg (La Petite Maison, The Arts Club). With a relaxed, warm atmosphere, an open kitchen and a roaring fire, The Stage Kitchen is the soul of the house. Its name is a reference to KOKO's storied history: it's where the stagehands would have eaten together backstage in Victorian times.
This also represents a rare opportunity for non-members to experience The House of KOKO. Its beautifully crafted, timeless ambience also encompasses a beautiful roof terrace and restaurant, a dome cocktail bar, a penthouse and recording studio, a piano room, library, a hidden speakeasy, a cocktail bar and secret vinyl rooms, designed by interior design studio Pirajean Lees in collaboration with KOKO's founder and Creative Director, Olly Bengough. Visitors can also see The House of KOKO's art collection, which was curated by Katie Heller and features artwork / photography by Sahara Longe, Bob Dylan, Frank Auerbach, Yoko Ono, Derek Ridgers and many more.
Tickets to the live show, and live show and dinner, will go on general sale from 10am on Friday, November 25th and will be available exclusively from See Tickets HERE. Tickets for the intimate dining experience cost £200 whilst tickets to the theatre performance cost £10/£20.
Richter and Mahr commented, "The EP title comes from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which begins 'All human beings are born free and equal.' We forget that all the time. Human rights are foundational to our work as artists, so it's fitting that we mark Human Rights Day with the first record release from Studio Richter Mahr. Studio Richter Mahr is a place we've been dreaming of for the past 20 years; it's a place where we can make our own work and also foster other creative projects. The artists on this record are all people we want to hear more from - people we wanted to meet and experience their work, their world and their creative vision."
Max Richter is one of the most prodigious figures on the contemporary music scene, with ground-breaking work as a composer, pianist, producer, and collaborator. Renowned for his ability to translate profound human emotions into music, his catalogue now surpassing 3 billion streams and he continues to set the standard for what is possible for composers in the 21st century. His compositions resonate in a variety of different forms, including acclaimed films such as Martin Scorsese's 'Shutter Island' and the Oscar-winning 'Arrival'; hit TV series including 'Black Mirror' and the Emmy-winning 'Taboo'; and by many of the world's leading ballet companies. His music has been performed in concerts everywhere from London's Barbican to Berlin's Kraftwerk and the Sydney Opera House.
Having started her career in political theatre, Yulia Mahr shares a similar ethos. She created the artwork for the 'Free & Equal' project. The image is a metaphor for where we are as human beings: a beautiful flower in full bloom, which is at the same time, incredibly fragile. You can see veins in it, marks and how it is wilting. Just as we are, something that should be treasured, but degrading everywhere.
With 'Free & Equal Vol. 1', Richter and Mahr continue a lifetime of working on socially orientated creative projects, which have included 'VOICES' and 'SLEEP'.
Together they founded the Studio Richter Mahr production facility. Powered by cutting-edge solar & heat-pump technology, SRM is an upcycled farm building set on the edge of 31 acres of English woodland in Oxfordshire. It represents proof that world class recording facilities don't have to come at a cost to the environment.
As a hub for creative experimentation and collaboration at the highest international level, SRM has a wider ambition; Mahr and Richter see creativity as an elevating force within society, and the studio has this principle at its heart. Operating as both a commercial space to hire and a free space for emerging artists to develop their work, the studio also works with local partners to support the local community.